Comeback-man Chandrasekar confident of bowling on any wicket

Left-arm spinner D.T. Chandrasekar (32), who last played a Ranji match for Tamil Nadu in December 2015 and was included in the squad for one match in 2018, said that he felt “blessed” having received a call-up to the Ranji squad this season.

“Having done well (in the TNCA first division league) last season, I expected to play the Buchi Babu tournament, but was not considered. So, this year, I wasn’t very hopeful. But when I got selected to play for TNCA XI, I knew that if I did well, I had a chance to break into the Ranji squad,” he said over a phone call.

He had two five-wicket hauls in as many matches in the recently concluded Buchi Babu tournament — six for 83 against Bengal, and five for 67 against Haryana.

He mentioned that all his “years of hard work,” particularly his “consistent performances over the last three to four years,” have finally paid off.

Chandrasekar, who plays for Sea Hawks, is the leading wicket-taker (38 wickets) in the TNCA first division league so far this season, with a record 10-wicket haul (10 for 37 versus Globe Trotters) and three five-wicket hauls in 10 innings. He attributed his improved results to the work he put in with bowling coach R. Ramkumar when he was with Jolly Rovers in 2023.

Ramkumar has helped him improve his grip, changing it from gripping the ball “at the fingertips” to gripping it “at the first joint” from the fingertips. This adjustment has significantly enhanced his control and spin. He’s also worked on bowling overspin (bounces and turns a bit) and topspin (bounces and goes straight) with the coach. The arm ball and the sidespin complete his list of variations.

“The number of wickets I pick up has increased (since working with Ramkumar). I now pick up 15-20 extra wickets (per season). Since I have the variety now, I’m confident that I can bowl on any wicket. Earlier, I didn’t have this much clarity,” he said.